Protecting Kyiv's Heritage: An Urban Center Reconstructing Its Foundations in the Shadow of War.

Lesia Danylenko beamed with pride as she displayed her freshly fitted front door. Volunteers had playfully nicknamed its ornate transom window the “croissant”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “I think it’s more of a showy bird,” she remarked, appreciating its tree limb-inspired details. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s early 20th-century art nouveau houses was made possible by residents, who marked the occasion with a couple of neighbourhood pavement parties.

It was also an demonstration of opposition in the face of an invading force, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about shaping our life in the optimal way. We’re not afraid of living in our homeland. The possibility to emigrate existed, starting anew to a foreign land. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance shows our commitment to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like ordinary people in spite of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the most positive way.”

Preserving Kyiv’s historic buildings could be considered strange at a period when aerial assaults routinely fall the capital, resulting in death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, aerial raids have been dramatically stepped up. After each assault, workers seal blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Amid the Explosions, a Campaign for Identity

Amid the bombs, a group of activists has been working to conserve the city’s decaying mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was originally the home of a prosperous fur dealer. Its facade is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and intricate camomile flowers.

“These structures stand as symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko noted. The residence was designed by a designer of Central European origin. Several other buildings nearby exhibit comparable art nouveau features, including asymmetry – with a pointed turret on one side and a turret on the other. One much-loved house in the area displays two forlorn white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a imp.

Multiple Dangers to History

But armed conflict is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who demolish historically significant buildings, unethical officials and a administrative body apathetic or opposed to the city’s rich architectural history. The harsh winter climate presents another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We are missing genuine political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He claimed the city’s leadership was friends with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the vision for the capital comes straight out of a bygone era. The mayor rejects these claims, attributing them from political rivals.

Perov said many of the community-oriented activists who once championed older properties were now engaged in combat or had been lost. The ongoing conflict meant that everyone was facing monetary strain, he added, including those in the legal system who mysteriously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this continues the more we see deterioration of our society and state bodies,” he argued.

Demolition and Abandonment

One egregious location of loss is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who purchased the plot had pledged to preserve its charming brick facade. In the immediate aftermath of the full-scale invasion, diggers demolished it. Recently, a crane excavated foundations for a new retail and office development, observed by a stern security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers levelled old properties while asserting they were doing “archaeological research”, he said. A former political system also caused immense damage on the capital, reconstructing its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could facilitate large-scale parades.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most notable advocates of historic buildings, a tour guide and blogger, was lost his life in 2022 while fighting in the frontline. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were continuing his important preservation work. There were originally 3,500 masonry mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s successful entrepreneurs. Only 80 of their authentic doors are still in existence, she said.

“It wasn’t foreign rockets that got rid of them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could last another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now little will be left,” she added. Chudna recently helped to restore a full of character vine-clad house built in 1910, which functions as the headquarters of her cultural organization and also serves as a film set and museum. The property has a new crimson entrance and period-correct railings; inside is a period bathroom and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now nothing will be left.”

The building’s occupant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “quite special and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not value the past? “Regrettably they are without education and taste. It’s all about business. We are attempting as a country to go to the west. But we are still a way off from that standard,” he said. Previous ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Restoration

Some buildings are crumbling because of official neglect. Chudna showed a once-magical villa tucked away behind a modern hospital. Its roof had caved in; pigeons made their home among its shattered windows; refuse lay under a whimsical tower. “Often we don’t win,” she admitted. “Restoration is a form of healing for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and aesthetic value.”

In the face of war and commercial interests, these citizens continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to preserve a city’s identity, you must first protect its history.